Drug Abuse Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Drug Abuse, including details on psychology, rehabilitation, consequences, treatment.

Risk and benefit perceptions of party drug use.

White B, Degenhardt L, Breen C, Bruno R, Newman J, Proudfoot P

National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. BWhite@nchecr.unsw.edu.au

A cross-sectional survey of 372 regular ecstasy users was conducted to examine the benefits and risks perceived to be associated with the use of party drugs. A wide range of benefits and risks were reported across six drug types with some considered drug-specific. Commonly perceived risks included physical and psychological harms that were consistent with current harm reduction messages. Harm reduction campaigns may need to acknowledge benefits of drug use to ensure health promotion messages are considered credible and acceptable to users.

Published 19 December 2005 in Addict Behav, 31(1): 137-42.
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